


Cherry Bomb

by 7iris



Category: Hockey RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Dallas Stars, M/M, Makeover
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-08-30
Updated: 2014-08-30
Packaged: 2018-02-15 10:38:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,945
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2225958
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/7iris/pseuds/7iris
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jamie gets a new haircut, new muscles, and a new boyfriend over the summer. Tyler is not prepared.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> The high school makeover AU that three, maybe four people wanted to see. Reposted from tumblr.

Tyler transfers in as a sophomore when Jamie is a junior.

He comes in with a bad boy reputation already. Rumor is he got expelled from his school in Boston. Rumor is he has a _tattoo_.

Jamie never would have even talked to him, except for the fact that they’re both on the lacrosse team. Which turns out to be terrible, because Tyler is great, friendly and outgoing and fun to be around. He seems to like Jamie, but he also seems to like everyone on the team, it’s not like it means anything.

(Jamie is pretty sure the tattoo thing is just a rumor, but he tries really hard not to look too closely at guys in the locker room, so maybe not.)  
  
Jamie falls hard for Tyler, while Tyler flirts with the cheerleaders and hangs out with the cool kids. And occasionally invites himself over to Jamie’s house to play video games after practice.  
  
Jamie’s resigned to all of it, resigned to his senior year being more of the same, and then Jordie drags him to a party at his ex-girlfriend’s house.

*  
  
It’s mostly people Jordie’s age, just home from their freshman year at college, and kids from other schools. Jamie doesn’t really know anyone, and he ends up standing awkwardly around the edge of the crowd with a Solo cup of what he thinks is rum and diet coke.  
  
He goes into the kitchen to see if he can switch over to beer. Tyler’s in there, which is kind of a surprise, but the real shock is that he’s making out with a guy.  
  
Tyler’s got him pinned up against the wall next to the fridge, one hand in the guy’s spiky blond hair, one hand under his t-shirt. It looks rough, sloppy.  
  
Jamie can feel his whole face turning red, something squeezing tight and painful in his chest. He turns around blindly, shoving past a couple of other guys. The party is loud and there’s a weird roaring noise in his ears, but he can still hear one of them say, “Hey, fag,” loud and clear.  
  
He stops dead.  
  
"What?" Tyler says, cocky and belligerent. He’s stepped back from the guy he was making out with and is glaring at the big guy with the crew cut in the middle of the kitchen.  
  
Fuck.  
  
Jamie starts pushing his way back in. Tyler and the guy are up in each other’s faces now. The guy hauls off like he’s going to hit Tyler, and Jamie grabs his shoulder, spins him around, and punches him in the mouth.  
  
He gets a brief glimpse of Tyler’s shocked face, and then all hell breaks loose.  
  
Eventually, someone calls the the cops, and the first whoop of the sirens scatters everyone. Three backyards later, it’s just Jamie and Tyler. Jamie drags a hand over his mouth, trying to wipe away the blood.  
  
Tyler peels his t-shirt off and holds it out.  
  
"Thanks," Jamie mumbles, pressing it to his face.  
  
Tyler snorts. “Thank _you_ , that was awesome. Here, tip your head back. Or forward? Shit, I can’t remember.”  
  
Jamie’s pretty sure it’s forward. They’re quiet for a minute.    
  
Jamie takes a careful breath and says to the ground, “I didn’t know you were—”  
  
"I’m not," Tyler says in a rush, and there goes Jamie’s idea of saying _me, too_. “I don’t, I was just — you’re not going to tell anyone, right?”  
  
"No," Jamie says. "Don’t worry, I won’t."  
  
When he gets home, Jordie is waiting up.  
  
"I’m never getting invited back there again, you dick," Jordie says, but his hands are gentle on Jamie’s face, tipping it up to the light. Jamie blinks rapidly.  
  
This whole time Jamie thought Tyler wasn’t interested in guys, but now it seems like he just isn’t interested in Jamie.  
  
*  
  
Jordie stops him outside the barbershop. “You’re doing this for you, right?” he asks.  
  
"Yeah," Jamie says. Tyler’s a lost cause. If Jamie ever had a chance with him, he’s blown it by now. But being dull and quiet and shy hasn’t made him happy, so why not try something else? Like maybe a different haircut than the one he’s had since he was twelve. "Almost entirely."  
  
(If Tyler is completely blown away by how hot Jamie turns out, well. Jamie’s not going to be _disappointed_.)  
  
Jordie eyes him. “Good enough,” he says.  
  
Tyler and his sister are spending the summer with their grandparents on some Canadian lake. He sends Jamie and the rest of the team group texts every now and then, pictures of the fish he’s catching, or bags of milk ( _told you so!!!!!_ ).  
  
Jamie follows the conditioning routine their coach laid out more conscientiously than he usually does. He talks Jordie into running with him in the morning, before the heat gets too bad. He meets a guy with red streaks in his hair and a pierced lip who’s getting his community service credit doing restoration work in the park along their route.  
  
Jordie has to badger him into flirting back, but he does, and it’s not awful. He starts running shirtless more often. When Kevin asks if he wants to hang out later, Jamie says yes without hesitating.  
  
Jordie is smirking so hard his face has to hurt.  
  
"It’s not a date!" Jamie hisses as they jog away.  
  
Jordie speeds up. “It’s a date!” he yells back over his shoulder.  
  
It’s not a date. But seeing a movie together that weekend totally is.  
  
(Hooking up with Jordie’s college friend when he visits is also not a date, but it is extremely educational about a number of things. Blowjobs, mostly blowjobs.)  
  
Kevin gives him a bracelet of braided black leather for his birthday, and Jamie ends up wearing it all the time.  
  
It’s fun. It’s not that hopeless, achey fondness he felt for Tyler, but it’s easy, sweet. He doesn’t tell anyone, but Brenden and Cody figure it out, and they seem okay with it.  
  
"I’m so glad you’re having a good summer, sweetie," his mom says, and Jamie is almost surprised to realize he actually is.  
  
*  
  
When Tyler shows up at the first practice of the season, there’s a big, buff guy talking to Brenden. He’s got his stick slung across his shoulders, his wrists hooked over either end in a way that makes his biceps look amazing. His head is turned away from Tyler, so all he can see is the curve of his throat and the line of his jaw.  
  
Tyler’s about to ask Alex who the hot new guy is when he turns around.  
  
Tyler’s jaw drops. It’s Jamie Benn.  
  
Jamie’s grinning, bright and open against his tan skin, and it gets wider when he sees Tyler. He gives him a little wave, and then turns back to Brenden.  
  
Tyler waves back weakly, and tries not to feel like his entire universe has been yanked out from under his feet.


	2. Chapter 2

After that first practice, Tyler can’t stop looking at Jamie. He’s always liked Jamie. Jamie’s a great guy, he was the first real friend Tyler had in Dallas. He just never looked at Jamie and thought, _Damn, he’s hot._  
  
He’s thinking it now.  
  
It’s not just the new haircut and the new definition in his muscles, it’s the way he smiles so much, the way he seems easier in his own skin.  
  
Tyler wants to ask, _Dude, what happened over the summer?_ But that seems kind of rude. So he just tries not to stare too obviously.  
  
It turns out what happened over the summer was Kevin.  
  
Tyler’s leaving practice with some of the guys, arguing over whether to go to McDonalds or Taco Bell.  
  
"You coming, Bennie?" Brenden asks.  
  
Jamie looks up from his phone. “Nah, I’m hanging out with Kevin,” he says. “He’s picking me up.”  
  
"Cool," Brenden says, and goes back to explaining the merits of the Doritos Locos Taco.  
  
Tyler wants to know since when does Jamie have friends who aren’t them, but Jamie has already split off from the rest of the group.  
  
There’s a guy with red and purple streaks in his hair and torn jeans leaning up against a beat-up old station wagon. He straightens up when he sees Jamie heading towards him and starts grinning.  
  
Jamie closes the last distance between them and ducks his head to kiss his mouth. The other guy puts his hands on Jamie’s ass, pulls him in close and slots their hips together.  
  
"Tyler?" Brenden says.  
  
Tyler blinks. He’s stopped in the middle of the sidewalk, watching Jamie kiss a guy in broad daylight. He drags his eyes away.  
  
"Um. Who’s that?" he asks.  
  
Brenden exchanges a quick look with Cody. “That’s Kevin.”  
  
"Oh," Tyler says.  
  
"Jamie’s boyfriend," Cody adds.  
  
"Oh," Tyler says again. He looks back. Jamie and Kevin aren’t kissing anymore, but they’re still standing close together, foreheads almost touching while Jamie says something. "And you all are okay with that?"  
  
Brenden straightens up, scowls at Tyler. Cody and Val are giving him equally hard looks. “Yeah. Are you?” Brenden asks, and his tone makes it clear there is a wrong answer to that question.  
  
Tyler winces. “Yes! That’s, I’m cool with that, I was just surprised!”  
  
Brenden squints at him. “Surprised that Jamie would have a boyfriend or that we’d be okay with it?”  
  
"Um," Tyler says. Because when he says it like that…  
  
But Brenden snorts and shakes his head. “Just for that, you don’t get a vote anymore.”  
  
"Awww!" Tyler says, but it’s just a reflex.  
  
He takes one last look at Jamie and Kevin, getting into the station wagon, and trails after Brenden, Cody, and Val.  
  
*  
  
Jamie sits down across from him in the cafeteria the next day. “Do we need to talk?” he asks.  
  
 _Why didn’t you tell me_ , Tyler almost says, but then he remembers the party last spring, how fast he tried to deny what Jamie saw, embarrassed and ashamed and freaked out. So he makes himself grin instead. “No, man, we’re cool.”  
  
Jamie smiles back, bright and relieved. “Cool. I’ll introduce you next time.”  
  
Tyler keeps smiling. “Sounds good.”  
  
Jamie turns his head, tries to catch Val’s attention and wave him over. The collar of his shirt slips and Tyler can see the edge of a hickey on his throat, raw and new.  
  
His stomach twists strangely and he makes himself look away, smile at Val coming towards them.  
  
*  
  
Jamie has a boyfriend.  
  
The words keep running through his head.  
  
 _Jamie_ has a boyfriend. Jamie has a _boyfriend_.  
  
No matter how he thinks them, the words don’t settle down and become comfortable, reasonable.  
  
"Hey, are you okay?" Jamie asks.  
  
Tyler startles. He’s been zoning out, staring at Jamie’s hands, the way he was absently playing with the bracelet on his wrist. What the hell. It’s not like Jamie’s stupid haircut made his _hands_ more attractive.  
  
"I’m fine," Tyler snaps.  
  
Jamie rolls his eyes, lets it go. Tyler scowls at his history book and manages to last a good five minutes before his eyes slide back to Jamie’s big hands.  
  
*  
  
Kevin is — nice. Fine. He’s cute and funny and he looks at Jamie like Jamie is wonderful, and that’s exactly what you should want in your friend’s boyfriend. Brenden and Cody like him, and Tyler knows he should, too.  
  
But there’s just something about Kevin that bugs him.  
  
*  
  
Tyler is watching Jamie and Kevin make out at a party.  
  
It’s probably weird and creepy, but he can’t quite look away. Jamie’s sitting on an ugly plaid sofa in someone’s basement and Kevin is in his lap. There’s a guy and a girl making out on the other end of the sofa, and no one else seems to be paying attention to any of them.  
  
Jamie licks at Kevin’s mouth, flicking his lip ring with his tongue. Kevin opens his mouth and the kiss slides deeper. Jamie curls one hand around the side of Kevin’s neck, rubs his thumb over the line of Kevin’s jaw. Jamie kisses like he knows what he’s doing, like he knows what he likes. Tyler never would have imagined him kissing like that, with that easy confidence.  
  
Kevin’s rolling his hips, tiny little movements. Jamie pulls his mouth away, presses soft kisses to Kevin’s jaw and throat. Kevin jerks when Jamie seals his mouth against his throat. When Jamie lifts his head, there’s a red mark on Kevin’s skin.  
  
Kevin grinds down against Jamie, and it makes Jamie’s mouth fall open. The music is too loud for Tyler to hear the noise Jamie makes, and Tyler feels a completely irrational twinge of disappointment.  
  
Kevin kisses Jamie again, slow and deep. When he leans back, they’re both smiling,dumb, sweet, private smiles. Tyler exhales and looks down at his drink.  
  
When he looks up again, Kevin is standing up. He waves at Jamie, says something that makes Jamie laugh. Kevin threads his way through the crowd and up the stairs.  
  
Tyler wanders over the couch and flops down next to Jamie. Jamie smiles at him. His lips are red and soft and shiny.  
  
"I’ll move when Kevin gets back," Tyler says.  
  
Jamie shakes his head. “Kevin’s got a theater thing tomorrow, he can’t stay.”  
  
"Oh," Tyler says.  
  
"Jamie!" Val bounds up to the couch and holds his hands out. "Come dance with me!"  
  
Jamie rolls his eyes, but lets Val pull him to his feet, out into the crowd of flailing kids.  
  
At least Jamie is a terrible dancer.  
  
Tyler needs another drink.  
  
It’s probably that next beer that makes him think that maybe what bugs him about Kevin is the fact that he’s the one Jamie’s kissing.  
  
He’s thinking that idea through in the kitchen when Jamie comes up from the basement. Jamie is flushed and sweaty, still grinning. He tugs the hem of his shirt up, flashing his abs, to wipe the sweat off his face.  
  
Heat rushes over Tyler’s skin and his mouth goes dry with longing.  
  
Jamie drops his shirt and sees Tyler, opens his mouth to say something.  
  
Tyler takes one step forward and kisses him.  
  
Jamie gasps against his mouth. His hands come up to grip Tyler’s arms. For a heartbeat he kisses back, hard and fierce and so good, and Tyler moans into it.  
  
Then Jamie shoves him away, stumbles back. His eyes are wide and shocked.  
  
"Tyler, fuck — why would you do that _now_?” he says, and his voice is raw, hurt.  
  
"Sorry," Tyler whispers.  
  
He lifts his hand, and Jamie flinches back. “Don’t—”  
  
There’s burst of noise as a couple of guys come up from the basement, pushing past Jamie and Tyler to head into the living room.  
  
Jamie shakes his head and follows them out.  
  
Tyler slumps back against the kitchen counter. His lips are still tingling from Jamie’s mouth, and he is sorry, just — probably not enough.

*

Tyler wakes up in the morning feeling like shit.  
  
In a “hungover as fuck” way, but also in a “I was an asshole to my friend” way.  
  
He calls Brownie. “I think I fucked up.”  
  
"Good job on making it this long, though," Brownie says. "What did you do?"  
  
"I kissed Jamie."  
  
"Jamie your lacrosse bro?"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"Wait," Brownie says, "wait, Jamie your lacrosse bro with the cute boyfriend?"  
  
Tyler has maybe not been as subtle with Brownie as he thought. “Yeah.”  
  
Brownie snorts. “Dude.”  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"So what happened? Did he kiss you back?"  
  
For a second. Tyler licks his lips, remembering the feel of it, but. “No, he pushed me off.”  
  
"Shit, man," Brownie says, and he sounds sympathetic.  
  
"What do I do?"  
  
Brownie sighs. “You could tell him how you feel?”  
  
"What, like, ‘Hi, Jamie, you got really hot over the summer, please dump your cute boyfriend and date me instead’?"  
  
"Either that, or let it the fuck go."  
  
"Yeah." Tyler scrubs a palm over his eyes. "Yeah."  
  
*  
  
When he’s feeling less miserably hungover, he goes to Jamie’s house.  
  
Jamie’s out front, raking the yard.  
  
"Hey," Tyler says.  
  
Jamie looks up. “Hey,” he says. He doesn’t smile like he usually does, and Tyler’s stomach twists nervously.  
  
"Can we talk?"  
  
"Okay," Jamie says, but he doesn’t make any move to go inside.  
  
Which is fine, Tyler can do this out here. “I’m sorry about last night.”  
  
Jamie bites his lip. “Why’d you do it?”  
  
"I’m—" Tyler’s voice dies in his throat. He swallows, and chickens out. "I was really drunk. I didn’t know what I was doing."  
  
Jamie’s face closes up, his shoulders slump. “Fine,” he says. “Don’t do it again.”  
  
"I won’t," Tyler says quickly.  
  
Jamie looks away. “I gotta finish this up,” he says, lifting the rake. “So, y’know—”  
  
"Right," Tyler says. "See you Monday?"  
  
It’s a question, but Jamie just waves.  
  
Fuck.  
  
*  
  
Things are kind of awkward after that. Jamie doesn’t exactly avoid Tyler  — he’s not going start ditching his other friends from the team — but he doesn’t sit next to him in a group anymore, doesn’t laugh as easily at Tyler’s jokes. He spends more time with Kevin.  
  
Tyler misses him. He misses the easy way Jamie would throw an arm around his shoulder or hipcheck him in practice, misses making Jamie laugh, misses their dumb arguments over video games and the Cowboys versus the Pats.  
  
Jamie isn’t super-obvious about it, so Tyler thinks maybe no one else has noticed. Until Brenden pulls him aside and asks, “What’s up with you and Jamie? Did you guys have a fight?”  
  
"No, it’s nothing," Tyler says.  
  
Brenden narrows his eyes. “Is it because Jamie’s into guys?”  
  
"No," Tyler snaps, rolling his eyes. "I don’t care about that, I’m into guys, too, why would—"  
  
Tyler stops, appalled at himself. His face burns. He feels a rush of panic, but Brenden just looks mildly surprised.  
  
"Oh," Brenden says.  
  
Tyler takes a deep breath, exhales slowly.  
  
"Ohhhhh," Brenden says, like he understands something. "Did you hit on Jamie?""  
  
"No," Tyler says, looking at the ground. Not exactly, anyway.  
  
"Because — dude, that’s not cool, you know him for a whole year and you don’t do anything until he comes back all buff, with a nice boyfriend, and then you make a move?"  
  
"I know," Tyler mumbles.  
  
"You had your chance—"  
  
"I know!" Tyler says. "I know, okay?"  
  
Brenden gives him a suspicious look, then his face softens. “Okay,” he says.  
  
*  
  
Tyler’s sitting at table in the cafeteria with the rest of the guys when Val comes bounding up and throws himself into a seat. He’s grinning, cheeks flushed.  
  
"Ana say yes! To Winter Formal!" he says, and he gets a round of congratulations and fistbumps. "But I need new ticket."  
  
"You can have mine," Jamie says.  
  
"I thought you were taking Kevin," Cody says.  
  
Jamie shrugs, looks down at his sandwich very intently. “We broke up.”  
  
Tyler’s stomach swoops. He realizes he staring at Jamie and makes himself look away.  
  
"Oh!" Brenden says. "Dude—"  
  
"It’s okay," Jamie says quickly. "It’s not a big deal. So just — Val, you can have my tickets."  
  
"Only need one," Val says.  
  
"Which is good, because you’re still coming, right?" Brenden asks.  
  
Jamie grimaces. “I don’t know, man.”  
  
"You can go with me," Tyler says before he thinks about it.  
  
Brenden gives him a sharp look.  
  
Jamie scoffs. “I’m not going to prom with you.”  
  
"No, I mean — I don’t have a date, so it’s the same number of people in the limo and everything. You and me can third-wheel it together while these assholes make out with their hot girlfriends."  
  
Jamie frowns at him. “You don’t have a date?”  
  
It’s Tyler’s turn to shrug, too casual. “I haven’t gotten around to asking anyone, yet, so.”  
  
” _Or_ ,” Brenden says, “Jamie can ask someone else. Val can buy his own ticket and we can fit another person in the limo.”  
  
Jamie makes a face. “I’ll think about.”  
  
*  
  
Tyler doesn’t ask anyone else, and neither does Jamie.  
  
Tyler doesn’t know if Jamie actually decided that, or if it just happened by default, but he’s not going to question it.  
  
He knows Jamie’s not really going _with him_ to the formal, but he still asks him mom what he should get for someone he’s taking to prom.  
  
It turns out Tyler was (a) not sufficiently clear with the pronouns and (b) unaware of the difference between a corsage and a boutonniere. When he picks his order up from the florist, he ends up with one of each.  
  
They match, fern leaves and white rosebuds edged with pink, but one is way more flowery than the other. Tyler snorts to himself and thinks, _ah, fuck it._  
  
He brings his tux to Jamie’s house so the limo can pick them up together.  
  
"Make sure Heather takes lots of pictures!" his mom says.  
  
"Yes, mom!" Tyler yells over his shoulder.  
  
Jamie’s mom sends him upstairs when he gets there. Jamie’s door is half-open and Tyler yells, “Hey, I’m going to use your bathroom!” on his way by.  
  
"Okay," Jamie calls back.  
  
Tyler changes quickly. He borrows Jamie’s deodorant and mouthwash while he’s in there. He looks at himself in the mirror.  
  
"Sack up, Seguin," he says.  
  
His reflection looks dubiously back at him. He sighs and goes to find Jamie.  
  
"Hey," he says.  
  
Jamie turns around, fiddling with one of his cuffs. “Hey,” he says. “How do I look?”  
  
"Wow," Tyler says. It comes out too soft, too genuine. He clears his throat, manages a grin. "You look great, dude."  
  
Jamie blushes a little, ducking his head, but he does. The tux fits right, makes him look big and powerful instead of bulky. He’s got one button undone on his shirt, and his bowtie hanging loose around his neck.  
  
"You, too," Jamie says. "I need to get my mom to do the tie, it’s not coming out right."  
  
"I can do it," Tyler says. "I mean, if you want?"  
  
Jamie hesitates, then says, “Okay, sure.”  
  
Tyler puts his things down on Jamie’s bed and steps up close. Too close, maybe this wasn’t the best idea. He focuses on the tie. Jamie smells good, like real cologne, not that Axe shit.  
  
"When I was a kid, I only wanted to wear a bowtie to church," he explains as he works. "And only if I got to tie it myself, so I had a lot of practice."  
  
Jamie huffs a laugh.  
  
Tyler smooths the tie out. “There.” He steps back and lets himself look up again.  
  
Jamie’s cheeks are still pink. He touches the tie carefully. “Thanks.”  
  
Tyler nods. “Oh, hey, I got you something.” He pulls the boutonniere in its plastic container out of his back. “I didn’t know if you were going to get yourself one, since we’re going stag or whatever, so I just thought…”  
  
He trails off. Jamie looks surprised, but he takes the box. “No, I, um. I was going to, but. Thanks.”  
  
Tyler shrugs.  
  
Jamie uses the mirror over his dresser to pin it in place. Tyler doesn’t offer to help.  
  
"Where’s yours?" Jamie asks.  
  
"Ah," Tyler says. He pulls the other box out, slides the wrist corsage over his hand. "It turns out they’re not called corsages when guys wear them."  
  
Jamie bursts out laughing. “It looks good on you,” he says, grinning.  
  
Tyler grins back. It feels easier all of the sudden.  
  
Jamie’s mom finds some safety pins and manages to convert the wrist corsage into an extra-fancy boutonniere, and then insists on taking a bunch of pictures of them together.  
  
"Oh," Tyler says, with a quick, uncertain glance at Jamie. "I mean, we’re not really—"  
  
"It’s fine," Jamie says.  
  
Tyler hands her his phone. “So I can send one to my mom,” he says. Which he absolutely will do. And if he doesn’t delete it right away, so what?  
  
"Have a good time!" Jamie’s mom says.  
  
"Don’t do anything stupid!" Jamie’s dad says.  
  
Tyler glances at the expanse of Jamie’s shoulders in his black tux and thinks, _too late._  
  
*  
  
It ends up being a lot of fun.  
  
The guys all have flasks filled from their dads’ liquor cabinets in their jackets, and Laurie has one in her garter. (Which is why she is definitely Tyler’s favorite of Cody’s girlfriends.)  
  
They pass them around in the back of the limo on the way there. Tyler takes a sip from Jamie’s, but lets the rest go by untouched.  
  
He and Jamie sit in the back of the gym and judge everyone’s fashion choices and chances of getting laid after the dance. Jamie loosens up, starts smiling and laughing at Tyler’s bitchy commentary, and it makes Tyler want to touch him, drape his arm around his shoulders and lean into him.  
  
Ana and Laurie make them dance with them while Cody and Val are getting drinks. When the guys come back, it turns into more of a mosh pit, everyone bouncing around to Pitbull.  
  
"You’re terrible at this," Tyler yells at Jamie, delighted.  
  
"Shut up!" Jamie yells back.  
  
Tyler grabs his hips. “Just — try spelling your name with your butt.”  
  
"What? No!" Jamie says.  
  
"Yes!" Laurie says. "You have to try."  
  
Jamie gives her a deeply betrayed look, but he tries. He gets one letter done, and then almost doubles over laughing, bracing himself on Tyler’s shoulder.  
  
The dj slides over into something slow, and Jamie straightens up, still smiling. Couples are pairing off around them, swaying to the beat, and Jamie takes a step towards the edge of the dance floor.  
  
Tyler catches his wrist. “Wait, c’mon, dance with me.”  
  
Jamie turns back around, eyebrows up. Tyler gives him his best pleading expression. Jamie snorts, but he lets Tyler tug him forward.  
  
Tyler leans into him, puts his hands on Jamie’s waist under his jacket. Jamie’s hands come up to settle on Tyler’s hips.  
  
Tyler licks his lips and says to Jamie’s boutonniere, “I didn’t ask anyone else because I only wanted to go with you.”  
  
Jamie makes a low, hurt sound in the back of his throat and goes still.  
  
Tyler looks up at his face.  
  
"Why do you only do this when you’re drunk?" Jamie asks.  
  
"What?"  
  
Jamie’s mouth twists, and he won’t meet Tyler’s eyes. “You, you kiss me, and you tell me you want to take me to prom, but later you act like it never happened, like it didn’t mean anything.”  
  
"I’m not drunk!" Tyler says. Suddenly, it’s crucial that Jamie believe him about this. "I’m not!" He grabs Cody’s elbow.  "Cody! I’m not drunk, right?"  
  
"Uhh," Cody says. "I’m kinda drunk? So, I can’t really judge."  
  
Jamie’s face looks less sad and more resigned now. Fuck that. Tyler lets go of Cody and starts shoving his way towards the stage at the back of the gym.  
  
There’s a microphone on a stand and it only takes him a minute to figure out how to turn it on.  
  
"Okay, listen," he says. "It’s really important that Jamie Benn knows that I am completely sober right now."  
  
The dj turns Beyonce down a notch, and the crowd of slow dancers shuffles around to face him.  
  
"So I’m going to do a, uh, field sobriety test right now, okay?"  
  
"Tyler!" Jamie hisses. He’s pushed his way to the front of the crowd, and he’s glaring at Tyler like he can’t decide whether to laugh or yell at him.  
  
"Z, Y, X," Tyler starts. "Uh, shit, V? W? Jesus, who can do this sober? This doesn’t prove anything."  
  
There’s a burst of laughter from the crowd.  
  
"Okay, let’s try this instead." Tyler puts the microphone back on its stand and turns. He walks to the far edge of the stage in a straight line, following one of the seams. He stops, raises his arms out to his side and lifts one knee. He touches his nose with one finger, then the other.  
  
"See?" Tyler says. "Totally sober. Right, Principal Nill?"  
  
"Please don’t involve me in this," Mr. Nill says.  
  
Tyler goes back to the mic. “You believe me, right?”  
  
Half the crowd says yes, the other half boos, but he’s looking at Jamie.  
  
"It’s just really important that you believe me, and you know that I mean this, all of this. Drunk or sober, I always meant it, and I’m sorry I let you think otherwise."  
  
"Awww!" the crowd says.  
  
Tyler hops down off the stage and takes a couple of running steps towards Jamie.  
  
Jamie opens his mouth and Tyler jumps him.  
  
"Ooof!" Jamie says, and takes a step back, but he catches Tyler.  
  
Tyler grins, wrapping his legs around Jamie’s waist. Jamie slides his hands under Tyler’s thighs and holds him up, and fuck, that’s hot.  
  
Tyler cups Jamie’s face between his palms. “Jamie Benn, you are smoking hot, and I want us to bang like bunnies.”  
  
Everyone around them whoops, and under the cover of the noise, he says more quietly, “I’m sorry it took me so long to notice, because you’re also the kind of guy I want to date and be friends with forever.”  
  
Jamie blinks at him. “Okay, yes,” he says, and Tyler kisses him.  
  
It’s lush and hot and perfect, and Tyler makes an embarrassing noise in the back of his throat, tangles his fingers in Jamie’s stupid new haircut and holds on tight.  
  
The dj cues up Whitney Houston, “I Will Always Love You.”  
  
Tyler starts laughing. Jamie’s grinning, shaking his head. He shifts his grip on Tyler, lets Tyler slide down his body, and, wow, yes, Tyler would like to do that again, maybe with less clothes on.  
  
Jamie ducks his head. “Me, too — you know that, right? All of it, I want that, too.”  
  
"Awesome," Tyler says, and lifts his chin so Jamie can kiss him again.


End file.
